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Lincoln topic of library program

The Friends of the Jefferson County Library are pleased to host an Oregon Chautauqua program from the Oregon Council for the Humanities. Historian Richard Etulain will discuss why our 16th president has remained so beloved and vital to today's people in "Abraham Lincoln: With Charity for All." This free, public program will take place on Friday, April 18, at 7 p.m., at the Jefferson County Library Rodriguez Annex at 134 SE E St in Madras. Americans have venerated Abraham Lincoln for nearly a century and a half. We consistently name him as our best president, more than one thousand biographies have been written about him, and we hold him up as a model of leadership and moral courage. We know of Lincoln's failures and human frailties, yet these seem only to enhance his status as an American hero. As we approach the Lincoln bicentennial in 2009, it seems timely to ask what it is about this homely, humble, and seemingly unpolished Midwesterner that has so captured us. Etulain suggests that Lincoln's skills as a political leader are what set him apart, particularly his ability to work in a nonpartisan way despite his own strong party affiliation. By tracing Lincoln's experiences as a prairie lawyer, state legislator, party leader, and commander in chief, Etulain brings to light the political genius and generosity of our sixteenth president. OCH is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities that is dedicated to the belief that knowledge and ideas are fundamental to the health of our communities. More information about OCH's programs and publications, which include Oregon Chautauqua, Humanity in Perspective, and Oregon Humanities magazine, can be found at www.oregonhum.org.